This invention relates to condensation copolymer preparation, and more particularly to the preparation of copolymers of polyether polymers and oxycarbonyl group-containing polymers.
Polycarbonates, polyarylates, polyethersulfones, polyetherketones, and polyetherimides (the latter three frequently being collectively designated xe2x80x9cpolyether polymersxe2x80x9d herein) are known high performance polymers characterized by various desirable properties. It is frequently of interest to combine these properties. Combined properties can often be attained by forming blends of two polymers. However, polycarbonates and polyarylates are typically incompatible with most polyether polymers, forming poorly dispersed blends which may be opaque and unsatisfactory for such applications as glazing and fabrication of optical disks.
Therefore, the preparation of copolymers containing both ether-derived and carbonate or ester structural units is of interest. Methods for preparation of such copolymers are hard to develop, since the preparation methods characteristic of each type of polymer are widely different. Polycarbonates are conventionally produced from bisphenols either by reaction with phosgene in a two-phase organic-aqueous system under basic conditions or by reaction with diphenyl carbonate in the melt, and polyarylates are produced under similar conditions. Polyether polymers, on the other hand, are frequently produced by reaction between a salt of a dihydroxyaromatic compound and a dihaloaromatic compound under anhydrous conditions in a dipolar aprotic solvent or a water-immiscible aromatic solvent of low polarity. None of these methods of preparation can be used for both polycarbonates or polyarylates and polyether polymers.
A method of copolymer preparation has been described by McGrath et al. (Polymer Engineering Science, vol. 17, pp. 647-651, 1977) in which hydroxy-terminated polyethersulfone oligomers are first synthesized in a dipolar aprotic solvent. Said oligomers are then isolated and employed in an interfacial reaction with a monomer such as bisphenol A, in a halogenated solvent such as methylene chloride. This synthesis requires two successive, different polymerization reactions under widely different conditions and is thus cumbersome.
It would be more practical to conduct both steps, i.e., the preparation of the polyether oligomers and their reaction to form polycarbonate or polyarylate copolymers, in a single solvent. In addition, low to medium molecular weight hydroxy-terminated polyether oligomers are useful to make short-block, random, block copolymers, which do not exhibit complex multi-phase morphology often observed for long-sequence block copolymers.
Copolymer and oligomer preparation has not been readily achievable, however, by reason of differences in solubility between an alkali metal salt of the dihydroxyaromatic compound and the dihaloaromatic compound, as illustrated by bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone. In a homogeneous solution polymerization, such as the procedure in dipolar aprotic solvents, hydroxy-terminated polyether oligomers with statistically distributed molecular weight can be readily prepared simply by use of an excess of the dihydroxyaromatic compound. However, it is not possible to make such oligomers of low to moderate molecular weights in non-polar solvents, even when phase transfer catalysts are employed. This is true because the alkali metal (e.g., sodium) salt of the dihydroxyaromatic compound is typically insoluble in relatively non-polar solvents such as anisole and dichlorobenzene. In the presence of phase transfer catalyst, a minute amount of the salt may be solubilized at any moment. As the solubilized salt reacts with the dihaloaromatic compound in solution, more salt dissolves to maintain its minute steady state concentration. At the end of the reaction, when all the dihaloaromatic compound is consumed, the excess salt is left undissolved without participating the polymerization reaction. Thus, despite use of excess dihydroxyaromatic compound the system behaves like an equimolar polymerization, resulting in high molecular weight polymer.
It is of interest, therefore, to develop a simple method for the synthesis of highly random polyether-polycarbonate and polyether-polyester copolymers. It is also of interest to develop a method for preparing and isolating low to medium molecular weight hydroxy-terminated oligomers of the polyether polymers, rather than producing only high molecular weight polymers.
The present invention is based in part on the discovery that when polyether polymers are prepared in relatively non-polar solvents in the presence of polycarbonate or a polyarylate, extensive exchange takes place with incorporation of carbonate or arylate units in the product polymer in relatively random fashion.
The invention in one of its aspects, therefore, is a method for preparing a copolymer of a first polymer which is a polyethersulfone, polyetherketone, or polyetherimide and a second condensation polymer characterized by structural units containing an oxycarbonyl group, which comprises contacting, under reactive conditions, at least one salt of a dihydroxyaromatic compound with at least one substituted aromatic compound of the formula
Z(A1xe2x80x94X1)2,xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I) 
wherein Z is an activating radical, A1 is an aromatic radical and X1 is fluoro, chloro, bromo or nitro, in the presence of said second polymer.
It has further been discovered that the product copolymers can be degraded by saponification into hydroxy-terminated oligomers of the polyether polymers. Said oligomers are capable of conversion into special purpose copolymers, such as optical grade copolyethercarbonates, by means of an interfacial polymerization in the same vessel or by addition to a melt polycarbonate preparation mixture.
Another aspect of the invention, therefore, is a method for preparing at least one hydroxy-terminated oligomer of a polyether polymer which comprises preparing a copolymer as described above and contacting said copolymer with alkali metal hydroxide under reactive conditions, thus hydrolyzing carbonate and ester units.
The alkali metal salts of dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons (hereinafter sometimes designated simply xe2x80x9csaltxe2x80x9d for brevity) which are employed in the present invention are typically sodium and potassium salts. Sodium salts are frequently preferred by reason of their availability and relatively low cost. Said salt may be employed in anhydrous form. However, in certain instances the employment of a hydrate, such as the hexahydrate of the bisphenol A disodium salt, may be advantageous provided water of hydration is removed before the substituted aromatic compound is introduced.
Suitable dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons include those having the formula
HOxe2x80x94A2xe2x80x94OH,xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(II) 
wherein A2 is a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon radical. Suitable A2 radicals include m-phenylene, p-phenylene, 4,4xe2x80x2-biphenylene, 4,4xe2x80x2-bi(3,5-dimethyl)phenylene, 2,2-bis(4-phenylene)propane and similar radicals such as those which correspond to the dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons disclosed by name or formula (generic or specific) in U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,438.
The A2 radical preferably has the formula
xe2x80x94A3xe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94A4xe2x80x94,xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(III) 
wherein each of A3 and A4 is a monocyclic divalent aromatic hydrocarbon radical and Y is a single bond or a bridging radical in which one or two atoms separate A3 from A4. The free valence bonds in formula III are usually in the meta or para positions of A3 and A4 in relation to Y. Compounds in which A2 has formula III are bisphenols, and for the sake of brevity the term xe2x80x9cbisphenolxe2x80x9d is sometimes used herein to designate the dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons; it should be understood, however, that non-bisphenol compounds of this type may also be employed as appropriate.
In formula III, the A3 and A4 values may be unsubstituted phenylene or hydrocarbon-substituted derivatives thereof, illustrative substituents (one or more) being alkyl and alkenyl. Unsubstituted phenylene radicals are preferred. Both A3 and A4 are preferably p-phenylene, although both may be o- or m-phenylene or one o- or m-phenylene and the other p-phenylene.
The bridging radical, Y, is a single bond or a radical in which one or two atoms, preferably one, separate A3 from A4. Illustrative radicals of this type include methylene, cyclohexylmethylene, 2-[2.2.1]-bicycloheptylmethylene, ethylene, isopropylidene, neopentylidene, cyclohexylidene, cyclopentadecylidene, cyclododecylidene, adamantylidene, O, S, S(O)2, and Cxe2x95x90O. Hydrocarbon and especially gem-alkylene (alkylidene) radicals are preferred. Also included, however, are unsaturated radicals. For reasons of availability and particular suitability for the purposes of this invention, the preferred radical of formula m is the 2,2-bis(4-phenylene)propane radical, which is derived from bisphenol A and in which Y is isopropylidene and A3 and A4 are each p-phenylene.
The substituted aromatic compounds of formula I which are employed in the present invention contain an aromatic radical A1 and an activating radical Z. The A1 radical is normally a di- or polyvalent C6-10 radical, preferably monocyclic and preferably free from electron-withdrawing substituents other than Z. Unsubstituted C6 aromatic radicals are especially preferred.
The Z radical is usually an electron-withdrawing group, which may be di- or polyvalent to correspond with the valence of A1. Examples of divalent radicals are carbonyl, carbonylbis(arylene), sulfone, bis(arylene) sulfone, benzo-1,2-diazine and azoxy. Thus, the moiety xe2x80x94A1xe2x80x94Zxe2x80x94A1xe2x80x94 may be a bis(arylene) sulfone, bis(arylene) ketone, tris(arylene)bis(sulfone), tris(arylene)bis(ketone), bis(arylene)benzo-1,2-diazine or bis(arylene)azoxy radical and especially one in which A1 is p-phenylene.
Also included are compounds in which xe2x80x94A1xe2x80x94Zxe2x80x94A1xe2x80x94 is a bisimide radical, illustrated by those of the formulas (IV and (V): 
wherein R1 is a C6-30 divalent aromatic hydrocarbon or halogenated hydrocarbon radical, a C2-20 alkylene or cycloalkylene radical, a C2-8 bis(alkylene-terminated) polydiorganosiloxane radical or a divalent radical of the formula 
in which Q is 
or a covalent bond, and n is an integer from 1 to 3 inclusive. Preferably n is 1. Most often, R1 is at least one of m-phenylene, p-phenylene, 4,4xe2x80x2-oxybis(phenylene) and 
Polyvalent Z radicals include those which, with A1, form part of a fused ring system such as benzimidazole, benzoxazole, quinoxaline or benzofuran.
Also present in the substituted aromatic compound of formula I are two displaceable X1 radicals which may be fluoro, chloro, bromo or nitro. In most instances, fluoro and chloro atoms are preferred by reason of the relative availability and effectiveness of the compounds containing them.
Among the particularly preferred substituted aromatic compounds of formula I are bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone, bis(4-fluorophenyl) ketone and 1,3- and 1,4-bis[N-(4-chlorophthalimido)]benzene and 4,4xe2x80x2-bis[N-(4-chlorophthalimido)]phenyl ether and the corresponding bromo and nitro compounds. Bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone is often most preferred.
The second polymer is a condensation polymer characterized by the presence of an oxycarbonyl group, i.e., xe2x80x94C(O)Oxe2x80x94, in its structural units. Suitable polymers are polycarbonates and polyarylates. Most often, the second polymer is derived from a dihydroxyaromatic compound having formula II. Among polycarbonates, the bisphenol A polycarbonates are preferred. Polyarylates include bisphenol A iso/terephthalates and those derived from dihydroxybenzenes, especially resorcinol and hydroquinone iso/terephthalates.
According to the invention, contact is made between the salt, the substituted aromatic compound and the second polymer under reactive conditions, usually parallel to the conditions normally employed for polyether polymer formation. These may include the presence of a solvent and temperatures in the range of about 100-300xc2x0 C., preferably in the range of about 125-300xc2x0 C., and more preferably in the range of about 150-250xc2x0 C. Suitable solvents include the dipolar aprotic liquids such as dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, N-methylpyrrolidinone, dimethyl sulfoxide and sulfolane, and water-immiscible, relatively non-polar aromatic compounds such as chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene and anisole and mixtures thereof.
When an aromatic solvent is employed, it is strongly preferred for a phase transfer catalyst to be present, especially a phase transfer catalyst with high thermal stability, i.e., one that is stable in the range of about 100-300xc2x0 C. and preferably in the range of about 125-250xc2x0 C. Various types of phase transfer catalysts have this property. They include quaternary phosphonium salts of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,712, N-alkyl-4-dialkylaminopyridinium salts of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,460,778 and 4,595,760, and guanidinium salts of the type disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,482. Said patents are incorporated by reference herein. The preferred phase transfer catalysts, by reason of their exceptional stability at high temperatures and their effectiveness to produce high molecular weight copolymer in high yield, are the hexaalkylguanidinium and xcex1,xcfx89-bis(pentaalkylguanidinium)alkane salts.
Reagent proportions according to the invention conventionally include a 1:1 molar ratio of salt to substituted aromatic compound, although slight variations therefrom, up to about 2 mole percent, can be tolerated in certain instances. The proportion of second polymer will depend on the desired proportions of structural units in the product copolymer. In general, the second polymer will be present in the amount of about 1-80 mole percent and preferably about 2-50 mole percent of structural units therein based on substituted aromatic compound. Proportions of catalyst, when employed, are most often in the range of about 1-10 mole percent based on substituted aromatic compound.
Although the invention is not dependent upon mechanism, it is believed that the reaction between the salt and the substituted aromatic compound in the presence of the second polymer causes extensive reaction of said polymer with phenoxide-derived anions, resulting in breakup of the second polymer into oligomeric or even monomeric units having phenoxide-terminated anions as end-groups. These then react with the substituted aromatic compound, generally at a significantly slower rate. The product is a copolymer with a more random distribution of ether and carbonate or ester structural units than is afforded by prior art methods. It may be isolated from the reaction mixture by conventional operations such as anti-solvent precipitation.
Typical weight average molecular weights for the copolymer, as determined by gel permeation chromatography relative to polystyrene, are in the range of about 20,000-40,000. It is possible to saponify the carbonate or ester groups with aqueous alkali and recover hydroxy-terminated polyether oligomer therefrom; the degree of polymerization of said oligomer is typically in the range of about 5-15 as determined by hydroxy end-group analysis.
The copolymers of this invention combine the desirable properties of the first and second polymers as described herein. Thus, they are useful in applications requiring combinations of those properties. They can also be employed in minor proportions as compatibilizers for blends of said polymers, and additionally of blends of said first polymers with, for example, poly(alkylene carboxylates) such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate).
In the second aspect of the invention, the copolymer thus prepared, in solution in the solvent employed, is contacted with an excess, for example a molar ratio to carbonate and/or ester units within the range of about 2-20:1, of aqueous alkali, typically sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide of a concentration in the range of about 0.5-2.5 M, under reactive conditions which most often include temperatures in the range of about 80-150xc2x0 C. The result is hydrolysis by saponification of the carbonate and/or ester groups in the copolymer. What remains is hydroxy-terminated, oligomeric polyether polymer, e.g., polyethersulfone. Such oligomeric material is not readily prepared in non-polar solvents by other methods, for reasons previously described. It is highly desirable, however, since it can be used as a reagent for preparation of special purpose copolymers of the types enumerated hereinabove.
The invention is illustrated by the following examples. All percentages are by weight. Glass transition temperatures (Tg) were determined by differential scanning calorimetry.